The Ultimate Strategy: Planning in Segments

Have you ever wondered why your plans often fail in your own games, while there are so many brilliant examples of faultless planning out there? “Why are my plans so bad and is it even worth it trying?” That’s what most beginner and intermediate players often ask themselves after feeling the helplessness following another inexplicable loss to a lower rated opponent! Yes, this is how it goes and it seems there is no way out. Well, there is! Segment planning is an important concept and often a difficult one to understand for both beginners and intermediate players alike! You may have been taught segment planning or read about it in some form or another, but you probably never realized its immense importance to your whole chess understanding, given its so simplistic and easy-to-follow nature. Segment planning in theory does look easy to implement and it really is, especially in its first two stages, but how many of us really tried to avoid veering off that paved path of success and going for something ‘original’ and ‘creative’ that quite often led us to an inferior position? In my lecture today, I aim at explaining segment planning in an easy-to-understand and unambiguous manner, so that no one ever hesitates what is right to follow in their game and proceed to successfully outplay their unsuspecting opponent!